Russia-+Hatlen,+Johnson

=**__Country Called Russia__** Aubri Hatlen, Taylor Johnson. Block 1= media type="custom" key="22855378" width="108" height="112" =**The Land**= This is Mt. Elubrus which is the highest point in Russia, and is also part of the western side of the Caucasus Mountain range. It lies at 18,510ft and has become an extinct volcano In Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia near the Georgia border. The Caucasus Mountain runs between the black and the Caspian Sea. It also trails through Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. There is also the Ural Mountains which is on the west side of Russia and is the boundary between the European range and the Asian range. This mountain is 2000ft and is rich in iron ore and natural gases.

In the western part of Russia lies the Northern European Plain which Is also known as the Russian plain. This land goes through the Ural Mountains, to the arctic ocean, to the foot of the Caucasus mountains, and the Caspian sea. Half of this land is at 650ft above sea level with its highest point only 1,125ft. In the Northern part of this plain there is evidence of glacial deposition, and the land is also very fertile. It extends 1,500,000 square miles and is divided into distinct regions, the central Russia uplands, Volga, Dnieper river, black sea, and the Caspian lowlands. The Central Siberian plain is on the western side of Russia and is the largest plateau in Russia. Then there is the Western Siberian plain, which is west of Siberia and east of the Ural Mountains.

The longest river in Russia is the Volga River or (mother Volga). It connects Moscow to the Caspian Sea and is in western Russia. It is the most important river because it is connected with the Baltik waterway which is 685 miles long and is a great way for transporting goods. Then there is the Lena river and the Ob’ river.

=**Climate and Vegetation**= Since Russia’s climate is so cold the farmland can only hold grains and vegetables. One of Russia’s climates is tundra, a vast, treeless plain. This lies in the far north of the Arctic Circle. This climate makes the temperatures below freezing, with dark skies for several weeks, but then continuous sunlight during the summer. Another climate in Russia is the subarctic climate, which lies south of the tundra. Here there is one of the world’s coldest temperatures and causes 120 to 250 days of snowfall. The subarctic supports the taiga, a boreal forest belt that covers two fifths of western Russia and is also almost the size of the United States. The taiga supports one of the largest coniferous forests. The Northern European Plain has the humid continental climate. The temperatures in this climate range from 14 degrees Fahrenheit to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold climate in Russia helped a lot with winning war battles such as defeating Napoleon 1 in 1812 and the German forces during World War II. The troops weren’t expecting the temp to be below freezing so they suffered from frostbite, starvation, and death. There is one climate, the steppe, which makes Russia flourish with different plants like mint, beans, and sunflowers. It’s between the black sea and the Caspian sea and has long, cold dry summers. = =

=**Population and Culture**= About 75% of all Russians live in Western Russia. There is rich soil, mild climate, and waterways there. The major industrial city of Russia is Moscow. Moscow is also Russia’s capital. Population is dispersed east of the Ural Mountains. Only about 25% of Russia’s population lives in Siberia. The official language of Russia is Russian. Ethnic Russians usually only speak Russian, but people belonging to other ethnic groups are bilingual and speak their own as well as Russian. The soviet government promoted atheism. In the late 80’s the government relaxed its restrictions on religion. Christianity is also present in Russia. The Eastern Orthodox Church was central to Russian culture before the Communist revolution in 1917. Now days, most Russians that claim a religious affiliation belong to a branch of the Orthodox Church. Islamic religion is also present in Russia. It’s the second-largest religion in Russia. The majority of Islamic Russians live in the Caucasus region and between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. Judaism is another religion here. Jewish communities still thrive in Russia. Buddhism is also there. The Caspian Sea has a large number of Buddhists. In the Soviet era education was free, but mandatory. Today, students have a choice of different types of schools. Average life expectancy has declined down to 66. That’s 12 years shorter than the U.S.A. Disease, life choices, alcohol, smoking, and inefficient health-care systems threaten the well-being of Russians. Due to a housing shortage in Russia, most families live in large apartment blocks. The apartments inside are often very small. Extended family members often live with you. Going to concerts, ballets, and theater are popular entertainment for them.

=**History/Government**= Ivan the great in ancient times is the one who made Russia. He brought most of the Slav territories together which created the land we know today. That’s how he got the nickname Ivan the great. The Russians are part of the ethnic group called Slavs, which is an ethnic branch of Indo-European people. They have dominated Russia’s politics and culture. Then there is also the Caucasian people who live in the Caucasian region of Europe. Over time Russia grew into a multiethnic empire. Between the years 1922 and 1991 Russia was part of the Soviet Union which was during the soviet era. After the soviet fell Russia became an independent country and shaped how it is today. Now the Orthodox Church is open again since it was closed off during the soviet era. The Orthodox Church is central to Russian culture, it’s where they could practice there Christianity. Other churches were also rebuilt after the soviet era.

=**Economy**= Russia’s transportation systems move resources large distances to reach people. There is a major highway system that links Moscow with other major cities. Russia depends on railroads and waterways for most of their transportation needs. Pipelines transport petroleum products. The high cost of fuel and the reduced passenger traffic due to high ticket prices have made some small airports close. Most Russians live in cities, and many don’t own cars. They have trains, buses, and subways also. During the Soviet era, the state owned and controlled all mass communications systems. The telecommunications industry is experiencing a boom right now. Cell phone service has doubled in recent years. Many of them use internet, also. Between 1949 and 1987, the Soviet Union set off more than 600 nuclear explosives. They stocked nuclear weapons during the cold war. Some nuclear wastes can remain radioactive for thousands of year. Some materials contaminated by nuclear waste were dumped directly into the Barents, Baltic, and Bering Sea. In 1986, a fire started at a nuclear reactor in the town of Chernobyl. It released tons of radioactive particles into the air. It released 400 times more radioactive particles than in Hiroshima. Millions of people were exposed to it because they couldn’t evacuate fast enough. Industrialization has polluted most of Russia’s lakes and rivers. Toxic waste dumps for decades have been polluting the air in Russia. Russia has been expanding trade and building international relationships. Russia is a major source of energy and fuels. They account for over 53% of their exports. The EU, former Soviet republics, China, and Japan are Russia’s major trading partners. Russia became a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 1998. Russia and the United States signed a bilateral agreement for Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organization. Russia is trying to create secure and workable systems for banking, farming, manufacturing, transportation, and communications.

=**Global Issues**= The fish population is shrinking worldwide. Millions of fish and other marine animals die unnecessarily each year. The big ships threaten traditional fishing cultures. Pipelines that were built to transport oil and gas pass through wilderness areas and threaten the surrounding environment and wildlife. There is an unprecedented thawing of the world’s largest peat bog. It could release billions of metric tons of methane into the atmosphere. Global warming is happening at a dramatic pace in Western Siberia.


 * Citations: google images, world geography book.**